Location

Description

The beech kingdom

The Sierras of Urbasa and Andía constitute an impressive karstic massif situated at the edge of the province of Álava, to the west of Navarre. It is here that the majority of the rivers and streams that flow through the land of Navarre rise.

The beech grove constitutes the largest area of forest in the park, given that it occupies the great plains of the sierras and the north-facing slopes. For its part, the gall oak grove occupies the southern slopes of Andía, and at the headwaters of the River Urederra oaks, beeches, limes and varied vegetation abounds. The numerous pools and ponds are an ideal place for amphibians such as the salamander, the marbled newt, the natterjack toad and the grass frog. As for the birds, the white-backed woodpecker, the black woodpecker and the short-toed treecreeper stand out. The golden eagle, the vulture, the Eurasian eagle owl, the Egyptian vulture, the peregrine falcon, the yellow-billed chough and the alpine swift nest in the abrupt walls. As for the mammals in the sierras, the wild boar, the genet, the wildcat, the badger and the grey dormouse.

Municipalities

Navarre (Navarre)

Olazti-Olazagutia

Type of areaNature reserve

Area 20.949,40 hectares

Map

Activa JS

Access and surroundings

Cultural information

The Romanesque Sanctuary of San Miguel, dating from the 9th to the 12th century, is 17 Km away. It has a beautiful legend and remains open all day, except from 14.00 to 16.00.

Environmental information

The beech grove constitutes the largest area of forest of this Navarre massif. This habitat has been chosen by numerous amphibious species such as the salamander, the marbled newt, the natterjack toad and the grass frog. The precipitous summits are where the golden eagle, the vulture, Eurasian eagle owl, the Egyptian vulture and the peregrine falcon live.In the sierras, the protagonists are the wild boar, the genet, the mountain cat, the badger and the grey dormouse.

Information for visits

To get there from Bilbao and Vitoria, take the N-204 to Olazagutía. The NA-120 crosses the sierra through Lizárraga pass. From Logroño, follow the N-111 to Estella and Zudaire.

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